Mastronardi’s Sunset Varieties Win At Hottest Tomato Competition

Gourmet greenhouse grower Mastronardi Produce has once again taken top honors at the annual Hottest Tomato Competition. The company’s Sunset Mini Kumato tomato was chosen for the People’s Choice Award for Tomatoes for 2013.

With more than 50 different types and varieties of tomatoes on display during the competition, the People’s Choice Award for Tomatoes represents what customers enjoy the most in their tomato experience: flavor. The People’s Choice Award is extra special for Mastronardi, whose brand position statement is Inspired By Flavor, the company says. Mastronardi’s Sunset Mini Kumato is the bite-sized grape version of the Sunset Kumato Simply Unique Brown Tomato, which also won for the Hottest Tomato Award for Best Cocktail Tomato.

“The People’s Choice Award is the most important,” says Paul Mastronardi, president. “It truly is the consumer voting and, when you please that majority, you know you have the right flavor for the market. It was also rewarding winning the People’s Choice Award for Peppers with our Sweet Twister. These are the two categories where flavor counts.”

Over the course of two days, visitors to the competitions were able to sample dozens of different types of greenhouse produce and vote for their favorites.

In addition to the People’s Choice Award for the Sunset Mini Kumato tomato, Mastronardi Produce/Sunset also received the following awards as a part of the competition:

• Best Cocktail Tomato: Sunset Kumato Simply Unique Brown Tomato;

• Best Cluster/TOV: Sunset Loomato Heirloom Tomato;

• People’s Choice Award: Sunset Sweet Twister Pepper; and

• Best Orange Pepper: Sunset Orange Bell Pepper.

“REACH International is proud to have presented the Greenhouse Competitions for the last seven years,” says Art Barron, president of REACH International, a locally funded charitable organization that hosts the competitions each year. “Last year, the net proceeds from this event sponsored over 50 children to get an education while promoting and supporting North America’s largest greenhouse industry. We are thankful to all the growers, marketers and corporate sponsors who make this event so successful year after year.”

The net proceeds from this year’s event will be used for REACH’s main project in Uganda, Africa.

About the author

Kristen Cloud

A former newspaper editor and publisher who has handled digital duties for The Shelby Report since 2011. She once enjoyed leisurely perusing the grocery store aisles but, since having a baby in 2016, is now an enthusiastic click-and-collect shopper.